New Idris Elba movie begins filming in Philly

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Ika Bradford, or "Love," as he calls himself, is a real-life "Concrete Cowboy." He's been riding horses through the streets in North Philly since he was 10 years old.

"I had my time and share of doing this and doing that, all the bad things that ended me up in jail. Just being around the horses keep me calm. It's like a temperature check at all times. I never get mad around the horses," he said.

Now he's watching his home stable and 26th and Fletcher become a home base for the new Idris Elba movie, appropriately called "Concrete Cowboy." The crew begins filming this week.

"They are down and chilling with us. Trying to get to know the guys - city boys and all that," said Bradford.

The film isn't the only project going on in the city. A new Jason Segel series called "Dispatches from Elsewhere" was spotted down by the art museum. Crews have been shooting in Philly for about two weeks now.

"It makes you feel good about the city and the direction the city is headed in," said Shaheed Rucker from Mount Airy. He came down to the set hoping to get his artwork autographed by Andre 3000.

"These are artists I always looked up to, so I felt like this would be something special to me," he said.

Judging from the street signs, the series will move on from the art museum by Tuesday morning. As for "Concrete Cowboys," the set will roll in and out of Fletcher Street Stables over the next few days. But Bradford says he'll be riding on this block for life.

"Just have something to do. Stay out of trouble. Take your mind out of things in the hood, they're playing basketball in the hood, but there's nothing like a horse stable, I'll tell you that."